8 Answers
8

A good breakfast for me can consist of a 2-3 scrambled eggs mixed with half a can (~150g) cottage cheese. Spice it up with some tabasco sauce and it's totally edible, and it takes about 5 mins to make.

Another option is to just eat a whole can of cottage cheese straight (perhaps mixed with something sweet like a splash of kool aid). That's nearly 40 grams of protein by itself.

If you're not into milk products, then 2-3 eggs and a bowl of oatmeal on the side will also put you in the 30g protein range. Raw rolled oats can be as high as 16g/100g of protein, plus they're dirt cheap.

The problem with cottage cheese is that it's casein, not whey, and part of the purpose for protein loading on waking is to get a quick rush of protein. IMO cottage cheese isn't ideal for this.
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Dave NewtonSep 27 '12 at 18:55

Eat a can of tuna. White albicore. Each can has 2 servings and each serving has 14 grams of protein. Put some ranch dressing in there and your good to go! 28 grams is close enough for me but 1 tbsp of peanut butter would put you over the top ;)

Does "vegetarian" mean "no dairy"? Because greek yogurt is great for morning protein. Blueberry Chobani is the variety I usually buy. Two 6oz containers will get you 28 grams of protein and only 280 calories.

If 12oz of yogurt is too much or too boring for you, or you want some more carbs, I might suggest something like this:

Yoghurt? Whey protein shakes? HIGH PROTEIN COOKIES??
None of this is what Tim Ferriss was talking about I'm afraid.
He means high quality protein, i.e. animal protein. If you're a vegetarian, then I guess you've got to do the best you can with a restrictive system of eating.

I have a similar issue, in that I find it difficult to eat so much in the morning (which is how I landed here, looking for tips!) So, why do I have an issue with the above foods?

(1) Yoghurt
Fine if you can tolerate it, but dairy is a problem for most humans because of the milk proteins which cause all manner of issues. We're not kids. We no longer need milk.

Exceptions to the rule seem to be hard cheeses, ghee etc. (grass-fed if you can get it). Cottage cheese has a lot of protein and is low carb, so if you're wanting to lose weight
and MUST consume dairy, it's not the worst thing you could eat. (and it's yum).

(2) Whey Protein Shakes.
Most are just clever ways of sucking money out of chumps. Why not just eat 'food'?
If you have to use them, then go for whey protein isolate, which is far superior.

(3) High Protein Cookies
Dumbest. Idea. Ever.
You may get your 30gm of protein for a handful of these stupid things, but it'll come
bundled with massive amounts of carbs and gluten. Not only totally undoing your weight-loss efforts, but you'll GAIN weight. Again, if you're following Ferriss' protocol and you want to lose weight, you need to avoid grains (inc. fake grains such as quinoa), sugars (inc. fruit initially) and most dairy.
Robb Wolf would suggest steering clear of legumes too.

Anyway, best of luck and keep going. I've done the Slow-Carb thing for 3mths and lost 20kg - and I did it in the most haphazard way possible (mainly because I couldn't afford all the food I had to eat - esp. the grass-fed stuff) and with no other exercise than walking (quickly) for an hour most days.
Cheers,
m@

Avoid grains, quinoa, fruit, most dairy, legumes and whey protein? For a vegetarian in need of high protein foods that leaves.. what.. Eggs?? (Not saying you're wrong, just doesn't seem to leave much on the table!)
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MolombySep 28 '12 at 2:50

Haha.. just noticed you username/avatar. I suppose you'd say it's the "vegetarian" part that has to give? :P
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MolombySep 28 '12 at 2:51

Try high protein cookies. Titan makes one with 20g of protein in one pack of cookies. I have heard the 30g too and wonder if your size matters. I am only 115 lbs so my daily protein intake is a lot lower than most people.

Considering the weight of each pill (around 2-3g/pill) you'd have to eat quite a lot of them, especially because they are only ~60% protein… I guess that this might get pretty expensive.
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BaarnSep 27 '12 at 16:27

1

It isn't any better than milk or meat as a protein source, and is about 30 times more expensive. It is slightly higher than meat in protein / 100g, but to get 140 grams of meat, you need to eat about 4ish ounces. Or you can take 200 pills to get 100 grams of spirulina for the same protein content. Why is it people can't do simple math?
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JohnPSep 27 '12 at 22:18

1

Second note: I was looking at prices/specs, and found one that showed spirulina has 55g protein/100g. So, to get 30g of protein first thing, you'd need slightly more than 50g, or 25ish pills. It also states that it has 5mcg of B-12 per 100g, but fails to mention it's in a form that is inert to the body and of little use.
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JohnPSep 27 '12 at 22:24

If you aren't keen on eating first thing in the morning then definitely consider this. Intermittent Fasting (IF) is a great way to lose body fat while maintaining and even gaining muscle.

Definitely at least Google it and read a little before writing it off. Check out Leangains.com and RippedBody.jp to see some of the awesome physiques people can achieve through skipping breakfast and opting for just some black coffee or tea instead.